England and Northampton hooker Dylan Hartley has officially announced his retirement from professional rugby following his failure to properly recover from a new injury. The former England captain, who is 33 years old, has not played a match since December last year, and was not able to join his team for the World Cup final. Hartley won a total of 87 Test caps, and played 251 times for Northampton over 14 seasons throughout his career.
Talking about his retirement, the former coach stated that the last few months had been difficult for him both mentally and physically, saying that he had to come to terms with the fact that he would no longer be able to compete at a professional level. He added that he was nevertheless proud of the journey that he had made, with both England and the Saints; but that it was now the right time to hang up his boots.
Jason Leonard is the only other played that has played more for England than Hartley, who had skippered them to a Six Nations Grand Slam in 2016, and then once again the Six Nations title a year later. Additionally, Hartley had guided the Red Rose to series victories in both Argentina and Australia during 2018 and 2016 respectively. He had never been capped by British & Irish Lions, and a red card from his loss at the 2013 Premiership final meant that he lost a place on the summer tour in Australia.
| # | Site | Bonus | Bet | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Ladbrokes |  | 5/5 | 100% Match up to $250 NZD | Bet now Review |
| 2 |  | Palmerbet | | 4.9/5 | 100% Match | Bet now |
More About Trent Wilson
Trent Wilson is OnlineBetting.nz’s resident sports news expert. He draws on his extensive sporting knowledge, his qualification in sports management and his passion for betting to provide the latest, most up to date information on sporting events in New Zealand and across the globe. Trent is a veritable treasure trove of sports information and has been betting online for several years. He prides himself in keeping his readers informed, and in always offering an unbiased standpoint that reflects exactly what’s going on in the sports world.
View Posts - Visit WebsiteYou May Also Like:
All Blacks Apologise For Careless Post
New Zealand’s All Blacks have now issued an apology for a controversial social media post made in support of International Women’s Day. The post applauded the wives of the team’s players for their support, but at the same time also featured a player who had assaulted his partner. An international ….
SA Set To Join Six Nations After 2025
The South African Springboks are reportedly open to joining the Six Nations after 2025 – this as a major overhaul of the global rugby calendar remains in motion. Brokers of the game are due to meet next month in order to finalise plans for a biennial global competition, and it ….
Kevin Gourdon Announces Early Retirement
France forward Kevin Gourdon has been forced into early retirement by a heart problem. Gourdon, who is 31, once accused the All Blacks of cheating. He’s known to have played some of his best rugby against New Zealand. According to the Frenchman, who confirmed his condition and decision to retire ….
Glenn Moore Says He Welcomes Inquiry
Black Ferns coach Glenn Moore has at long last broken his silence following serious allegations made by Te Kura Ngata-Aerengamate. According to the player, she had suffered a serious mental breakdown as a direct result of comments made by Moore during last moth’s norther tour. Ngata-Aerengamate’s allegations include that of ….
Former Tonga Halfback Taniela Moa Dies
Former Tonga and Blues halfback Taniela Moa has died. He was only 36 and is understood to have died after a sudden medical event on Thursday morning. Born in Tonga, Taniela played 58 matches for his province between 2005 and the present day, while also helping his team to two ….